Cleaning and disinfecting are part of a broad approach to preventing infectious diseases in public settings. To help slow the spread of COVID-19 and other infectious diseases individuals should stay home when sick, cover coughs and sneezes, and wash hands often. Below are tips on how to reduce the spread of COVID-19 specifically through cleaning and disinfecting.
Cleaning removes germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces or objects. Cleaning works by using soap (or detergent) and water to physically remove germs from surfaces. This process does not necessarily kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection. The problem, however, is the risk of cross-contamination. The mopping solution and the cleaning tools could be spreading disease in the absence of a disinfectant.
Sanitizing lowers the number of germs. Sanitizing is meant to reduce, not kill, the occurrence and growth of bacteria, viruses and fungi. Sanitizing is better than cleaning alone but the reduction of pathogen populations on environmental surfaces is exponentially better when you disinfect.
Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), if you think a surface may be infected with COVID-19, clean it with a disinfectant to kill the virus in order to protect yourself and others (e.g. Vital Oxide.)
According to the WHO, COVID-19 is a respiratory virus which spreads primarily through contact with an infected person through respiratory droplets generated when a person, for example, coughs or sneezes, or through droplets of saliva or discharge from the nose.
Studies have shown that coronaviruses can remain infectious at room temperature for on average 4-5 days, but sometimes up to 9 days. Furthermore, every time a person touches a contaminated surface (e.g. a door handle) they not only risk infecting themselves they also risk spreading it to other surfaces which can continue the spread of the virus for up to 9 days. Therefore, frequent cleaning and disinfection of surfaces is necessary to reduce the spread of COVID-19.
Disinfect surfaces and objects that are touched often
Cleaning procedures should include daily disinfection of surfaces and objects that are touched often, such as desks, countertops, doorknobs, railings, computer keyboards, faucet handles, toilets, phones, and light switches.
To ensure all sides of a surface are disinfected including the underside of objects as well as cracks and crevices it is best to apply the disinfectant with a fogger or electrostatic sprayer. (*Note: not all disinfectants are safe to be aerosolized.)
Vital Oxide has the tools you need
By simply spraying Vital Oxide hospital-grade disinfectant on all surfaces you can kill 99.999% of harmful bacteria and viruses in minutes. There is no need to wipe or rinse after spraying which saves you time and money. Vital Oxide is safe to use around children, safe on carpets & fabrics, is non-irritating to the skin and is even safe enough to use on surfaces that come into contact with food.